Scottish Executive

Abortions

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many abortions have been carried out in Scotland under the Abortion Act 1967 in each of the last five years, broken down into those carried out using (a) vacuum aspiration, (b) dilation and evacuation or curettage, (c) hysterectomy, (d) other surgical methods, (e) prostaglandins only, (f) prostaglandins with other agents, (g) antiprogesterones with, or without, prostaglandins, (h) other medical methods and (i) other combined methods.

Malcolm Chisholm: Information to the level of detail sought could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost. Information on the numbers of abortions carried out by surgical and medical means, based on notifications of legal abortions to the Chief Medical Officer, is however, publicly available online from Scottish Health Statistics - Abortions in table 9 and chart 4 at:

  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/info3.jsp?pContentID=1919&p_applic=CCC&p_service=Content.show&

Abortions

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many complications there have been with legal abortions in each of the last five years (a) in total and (b) per 1,000 head of the population, broken down by number of gestation weeks, and how many such complications were (i) sepsis, (ii) haemorrhage, (iii) perforation and (iv) other complications.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not held centrally. The Executive believes the number of cases of complications during a legal abortion would be relatively low. Statistics obtained in England suggest about three per 1,000 abortions result in complications, a figure which if applied to Scotland would imply about 36 cases per year

Abortions

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many abortions were carried out in each of the last five years where the woman had at least one previous abortion, broken down by age of the woman involved.

Malcolm Chisholm: The following table provides the information sought by age band.

  

 Year ended 
  31/12
 1999
 2000
 2001
 2002
 2003


 Total number
 2,884
 2,796
 2,996
 3,010
 3,135


 Under 20
 266
 254
 282
 253
 271


 20-24
 770
 723
 824
 896
 921


 25-29
 792
 788
 809
 722
 801


 30-34
 597
 575
 603
 627
 633


 35-39
 366
 360
 370
 400
 373


 40-44
 86
 91
 103
 106
 128


 Over 45
 7
 5
 5
 6
 8

Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many requests have been made to the Mental Welfare Commission to nominate a medical practitioner to give an opinion in respect of the medical treatment proposed where a disagreement arose between the medical practitioner primarily responsible for the medical treatment of the adult and a welfare attorney under the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 in each year since it came into effect.

Malcolm Chisholm: I understand that the Commission has not received any requests for a medical practitioner to give an opinion about the medical treatment proposed in cases of disagreement between the medical practitioner primarily responsible for the medical treatment of the adult and a welfare attorney under the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000.

Carers

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made towards meeting the policy priorities for carers outlined in The Carers’ Manifesto 2003 .

Mr Tom McCabe: The resources allocated by the Executive to local authorities to support carers, including resources to develop respite services, have risen from £5 million in 1999-2000 to £21 million in 2003-04. The Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 places a duty on local authorities to notify carers who appear to them to be eligible to have an assessment of their support needs as a carer, that they may be entitled to have such an assessment. The act also provides powers to require health boards to draw up NHS Carer Information Strategies that will set out how NHS staff will similarly inform carers of their right to an assessment. The Executive will shortly be publishing for consultation draft guidance to health boards on the preparation of these strategies.

  We are committed to monitoring the impact of our Carers Strategy, including the new legislative measures to support carers. From 2004-05 the Executive will be collecting data from local authorities on the numbers of carers’ assessments being carried out. Other performance indicators and outcome measures will be developed in due course.

Carers

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, following its recognition of carers as key partners in the provision of care, it will expand the provision of free flu vaccinations to carers.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation advises all UK Health Departments on issues relating to vaccination and immunisation, based on currently available scientific evidence.

  At its June meeting, the committee agreed that the 2004-05 programme should again focus on protecting older people (65 years and over) and younger people, who have specified on-going medical conditions that make them particularly susceptible to flu and its often attendant complications.

  As a future development, the committee also accepted its Influenza Panel's recommendation that the free flu vaccinations should be offered to essential carers of the elderly or disabled people at the discretion of the GP, where sickness in the carer might jeopardise home care arrangements. Discussions on how best to take this forward in 2005-06 are already in train.

  However, the final decision on immunisation in any particular case is for the person’s medical practitioner, taking into account the individual’s medical condition and personal circumstances.

Carers

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that carers are more aware of their entitlement to benefits and to instigate an income maximisation scheme for carers.

Mr Tom McCabe: Since the introduction of our Carers Strategy we have worked closely with carers’ organisations at a national level to ensure that carers of all ages have access to appropriate information on their rights and about support, including financial support, available to them. Since April 2000, the NHS Helpline has provided such information and this is now made being available through NHS24. We have worked with carers’ organisations on national publicity campaigns to help raise carer awareness and to alert carers to sources of support and advice.

  This month we will be issuing for consultation to local authorities, NHS boards and the voluntary sector draft guidance about the preparation of NHS Carer Information Strategies. These strategies will cover issues such as carer identification and the provision of information to carers within NHS settings. They should enable more carers to be aware of the range of support available to them including financial support.

Dentistry

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-8994 by Mr Tom McCabe on 24 June 2004, which NHS boards applied for approval for schemes to assist eligible patients with travel expenses in order to access primary NHS dental treatment and, of these, how many applications were successful in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02, (d) 2002-03 and (e) 2003-04 and how the availability of these schemes was publicised.

Mr Tom McCabe: No NHS boards have applied to the Executive in the years indicated seeking approval to put in place arrangements to assist patients with travel expenses to access primary care NHS dental services.

  NHS boards are aware that they can apply, under section 33 of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978, to put in place a range of measures to assist with access to NHS dental services.

Digital Technology

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many exchanges are unviable for ADSL broadband and how it will ensure that 100% of the population will be able to access broadband by 31 December 2005.

Mr Jim Wallace: There are 399 exchanges in Scotland that are commercially unviable to upgrade for ADSL broadband. The Executive is taking forward a technology-neutral procurement exercise which will ensure that every community in Scotland has broadband access by the end of 2005.

Education

Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the initial take-up has been of the education maintenance allowance.

Mr Jim Wallace: National roll-out of the education maintenance allowance (EMA) programme does not commence until August 2004. Local authority education departments and further education colleges are currently handling early applications.

  Information on EMA take-up will be available quarterly, commencing in November 2004.

Education

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines it has received from HM Treasury regarding the education maintenance allowance (EMA).

Mr Jim Wallace: EMA Guidelines were tested and refined during the piloting process from 1999-2003 across the 56 pilot areas in England and four pilot areas in Scotland.

  The design of the EMA programme is common across the four administrations: England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

  As each devolved nation has responsibility for the administration of the programme the administration systems have been developed to reflect the education systems in place.

Education

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the funding for the education maintenance allowance (EMA) is resourced from its block grant or directly from HM Treasury and whether the guidelines for the allowance are established by it or the Treasury.

Mr Jim Wallace: EMAs are funded directly from HM Treasury through Annual Managed Expenditure (AME).

  The design of the EMA programme is common across the four administrations: England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

  As each devolved nation has responsibility for the administration of the programme the administration systems have been developed to reflect the education systems in place.

Employment

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the change has been in the number of full-time permanent jobs, broken down by local authority area, since 1997, expressed also as a percentage of the number of such jobs.

Mr Jim Wallace: The table below shows, for Scotland and local authorities, the number of full-time jobs in 1997 and 2002 and net change and percentage change for this time period.

  It is not possible to obtain information about permanent jobs.

  

 

 1997
(000)
 2002
(000)
 Net 
  Change
  1997-2002
(000)
 Percentage 
  Change
  1997-2002


 Scotland
 1470.5
 1552.9
 82.4
 5.6%


 Aberdeen City
 118.2
 117.2
 -1
 -0.8%


 Aberdeenshire
 47.4
 51.7
 4.3
 9.1%


 Angus
 24
 22.3
 -1.7
 -7.1%


 Argyll and Bute
 22.8
 21.5
 -1.3
 -5.7%


 Clackmannanshire
 9.5*
 9*
 -0.5
 -5.3%


 Dumfries and Galloway
 36.8
 35.7
 -1.1
 -3.0%


 Dundee City
 46.1*
 46.4
 0.3
 0.7%


 East Ayrshire
 26.3
 26.3
 0
 0.0%


 East Dunbartonshire
 14.3
 15.8*
 1.5
 10.5%


 East Lothian
 16.1
 16.6
 0.5
 3.1%


 East Renfrewshire
 9
 11.2
 2.2
 24.4%


 Edinburgh, City of
 185.3*
 214.4
 29.1
 15.7%


 Eilean Siar
 6.1
 5.6
 -0.5
 -8.2%


 Falkirk
 36.6
 40
 3.4
 9.3%


 Fife
 89.8
 90
 0.2
 0.2%


 Glasgow City
 244.3*
 267*
 22.7
 9.3%


 Highland
 53.4
 59.7
 6.3
 11.8%


 Inverclyde
 23.5*
 21.6*
 -1.9
 -8.1%


 Midlothian
 13.9
 16.2
 2.3
 16.5%


 Moray
 20.5
 20.5
 0
 0.0%


 North Ayrshire
 30.6
 28.1
 -2.5
 -8.2%


 North Lanarkshire
 75.2
 85.3
 10.1
 13.4%


 Orkney Islands
 5.1
 4.3
 -0.8
 -15.7%


 Perthshire and Kinross
 36.5
 37.1
 0.6
 1.6%


 Renfrewshire
 56.9
 52.4
 -4.5
 -7.9%


 Scottish Borders
 27.4
 27.3
 -0.1
 -0.4%


 Shetland Islands
 7.3
 5.3
 -2
 -27.4%


 South Ayrshire
 30.8
 29.7
 -1.1
 -3.6%


 South Lanarkshire
 68.5
 78.5
 10
 14.6%


 Stirling
 25
 27.4
 2.4
 9.6%


 West Dunbartonshire
 19.4
 18.9
 -0.5
 -2.6%


 West Lothian
 44.1
 50
 5.9
 13.4%



  Note:

  *These figures are aggregates from which agriculture class 0100 (1992 SIC) have been excluded.

Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide information on any follow-up action taken in response to the recommendation contained in the report by Audit Scotland, Local economic forums: A follow-up report, that it should work with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise to explore cost-effective approaches to conducting joint surveys to determine the views of the business sector and ensure that the progress of local economic forums’ partners in discharging their economic development strategies is monitored and evaluated.

Mr Jim Wallace: Yes. All of Audit Scotland’s recommendations will inform policy development and implementation relating to Local Economic Forums (LEF). Progress will be reported in a variety of ways including at a stakeholder conference planned for later this year and through the LEF website.

Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide information on any follow-up action taken in response to the recommendation contained in the report by Audit Scotland, Local economic forums: A follow-up report , that it should take steps to disseminate good practice related to addressing guidelines issued to local economic forums.

Mr Jim Wallace: Yes. All of Audit Scotland’s recommendations will inform policy development and implementation relating to Local Economic Forums (LEF). Progress will be reported in a variety of ways including at a stakeholder conference planned for later this year and through the LEF website.

Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide information on any follow-up action taken in response to the recommendation contained in the report by Audit Scotland, Local economic forums: A follow-up report , that it should work with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise to investigate wide regional variations in the business sector’s views of public sector business support services.

Mr Jim Wallace: Yes. All of Audit Scotland’s recommendations will inform policy development and implementation relating to Local Economic Forums (LEF). Progress will be reported in a variety of ways including at a stakeholder conference planned for later this year and through the LEF website.

Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide information on any follow-up action to the recommendation contained in the report by Audit Scotland, Local economic forums: A follow-up report , that it should continue to monitor the impact of local economic forums on the business community.

Mr Jim Wallace: Yes. All of Audit Scotland’s recommendations will inform policy development and implementation relating to Local Economic Forums (LEF). Progress will be reported in a variety of ways including at a stakeholder conference planned for later this year and through the LEF website.

Equine Industry

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much the equine industry is worth.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally.

  Industries are classified according to the UK Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities 1992, produced by the Office for National Statistics. There is no specific category for the equine industry using these classifications.

Fisheries

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce the performance targets set for the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency for 2004-05.

Ross Finnie: For the year 2004-05 the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency’s financial resources will provide for the following inputs from the surveillance and enforcement assets at its disposal:

  Air: Total flying hours contracted 1,800

  Sea: Total available patrol days 1,264

  Land: Total available British Sea

  Fishery Officer enforcement days 8,850

  Based on these inputs, I have set the following targets for the financial year 2004-05:

  Aerial Surveillance

  - per cent of hours flown on task 83%

  - cost per hour flown on task £1,236.

  Marine surveillance

  - uptake as a % of available patrol days 98%

  -cost per effective patrol day £5,277.

  Sea Fisheries Inspectorate

  - per cent of total tonnage landed into 80%

  Scottish ports checked against logsheet

  - cost per catch inspection £122.

  Cases for Prosecution

  - cases for prosecution to be reported

  within six weeks of offences being detected 96%

  -number of cases where court proceedings are taken or

  the imposition of a PF fine, as percentage of offences 94% reported to prosecuting authorities.

  Efficiency

  -cash-releasing efficiency gain as a % of the total 1.0%

  running cost budget.

  The Chief Executive will be directly accountable to me for the achievement of these targets, which will be reported in the Agency's Annual Report.

  A comparison with actual performance in 2003-2004 is attached for reference.

  Agency Performance Measures and Targets

  

 Measures
 2003-04
 2004-05


 Target
 Actual
 Achieved
 Proposed


 Aerial Surveillance
  


 Per cent of hours flown on task (%)
 83
 86
 YES
 83


 Cost per hour flown on task (£)
 1,348
 1,408
(1528)·
 NO
 1236


 Marine surveillance
  


 Cost per effective patrol day (£)
 4,360
 5,388
(7,094)·
 NO
 5,277


 Uptake of Available Patrol Days (%)
 97
 98
 YES
 98


 Sea Fisheries Inspectorate
  


 Percent of total tonnage landed checked 
  against logsheet
 80
 80
 YES
 80


 Cost per catch inspection (£)
 110
 111
(114)·
 NO
 122


 Cases reports for Prosecution
  


 Within 6 weeks of offence (%)
 96
 99
 YES
 96


 No of cases where court proceedings are 
  taken or the imposition of a PF fine as percentage of offences 
  reported for prosecution (%)
 90
 96
 YES
 94


 Cash releasing efficiency gains (%)
 1.0
 1.5
 Yes
 1.0



  Notes:

  * - out-turns expressed in resource terms.

  · - provisional out-turns expressed in resource terms.

General Practitioners

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-8946 by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 June 2004, what action is being taken to ensure that the NHS Lanarkshire board area attains the Scottish average for GPs per 10,000 head of population.

Malcolm Chisholm: Under the terms of the legislation which underpins the introduction of the new General Medical Services (GMS) contract, it is for Lanarkshire NHS Board to determine the primary medical services needs of its local population and meet those needs by using the powers in the Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Act 2004.

  To assist in this process, the new General Medical Services contract allocates resources according to an assessment of local health needs and recognises the importance of both the recruitment and retention of General Practitioners containing a number of measures which support this, including the continuation of the "Golden Hello" Scheme for GPs with a standard £5,000 payment.

  Funding has also been agreed to maintain increased numbers of GP registrars across Scotland, ensuring 280 places are available in 2004-05.

  New national workforce planning arrangements now being established under the National Workforce Committee will take into account the changing needs of primary care service teams and seek to project primary care workforce needs into the future.

General Practitioners

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in establishing out-of-hours GP services in rural Scotland.

Malcolm Chisholm: The new GMS contract allows most GP practices to transfer responsibility for out-of-hours care to their NHS board, who must have alternative arrangements for the provision of these services in place by the end of December 2004.

  NHS boards are currently developing their plans for out-of-hours service re-provision and are being assisted by a national out-of-hours working group. This group is comprised of key stakeholders from across the service and includes members from NHS24, the Scottish Ambulance Service and patient representatives. In addition, three key senior appointments have been made to the Pay Modernisation Team to help develop the new models of out-of-hours care across Scotland. New arrangements will need to meet mandatory accreditation standards to ensure a safe, quality service for patients.

Health

David McLetchie (Edinburgh Pentlands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new co-ordinator posts, similar to the Food and Health Co-ordinator, have been created in each of the last five years, giving details of the post, the holder and salary in each case.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is as follows:

  

 Year
 Post
 Postholder
 Budget Cost¹


 1999-2000
  
  
  


 2000-01
 National Demonstration Projects Co-ordinator
 Cathy Magee
 £41,000


 2001-02
 Scottish Health and Homelessness Co-ordinator
 Sue Irving
 £53,500


 Scottish Food and Health Co-ordinator
 Gillian Kynoch
 £58,000


 National Exam Co-ordinator
 Colin Maclean
 £40,000


 2002-03
 National Physical Activity Co-ordinator
 Mary Allison
 £48,000


 2003-04
 Head of Implementation for "Choose 
  Life" Suicide Strategy
 Caroline Farquhar
 £52,000²


 Audiology Services Modernisation
 Angela Bonomy
 £47,000



  Notes:

  1. Includes costs for salary, NI, Superannuation, travel and some admin support.

  2. Salary only. The post is hosted by National Services Scotland (formerly the Common Services Agency).

Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the results of the NHS Argyll and Clyde consultation on its clinical strategy review will be broken down by geographical area.

Malcolm Chisholm: NHS Argyll and Clyde have indicated that the responses received to consultation will be broken down by geographical area.

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-8971 by Mr Tom McCabe on 24 June 2004, when the review of the current guidance for continuing care criteria in Management Executive Letter (1996) 22 will be concluded, when the results will be published and which personnel are conducting the review.

Mr Tom McCabe: The review, which is currently being carried out by the Community Care Division is expected to be completed within the next few months. Revised guidance will then follow.

Health Promotion

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what grants are available for the establishment of food co-operatives.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Community Diet Project (SCDP), funded by the Scottish Executive, provides financial assistance to food co-operatives under its small grants scheme. This is not the only source of funding available to food co-operatives. In March 2004 the SCDP published "Source", which highlights the many and varied funding options open to community food initiatives and food co-operatives in Scotland. This document can be accessed at:

  http://www.dietproject.org.uk/toolkits/documents/Source2004.pdf.

Health Promotion

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many food co-operatives there are, broken down by local authority area.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not held centrally. However, the Scottish Community Diet Project works with NHS Health Scotland to maintain a database of community food initiatives across Scotland. the database can be accessed at www.healthyliving.gov.uk/whatsgoingon/. In addition, later this summer, the Scottish Community Diet Project will publish separately a directory of community food initiatives. Both are compiled on the basis of returns from community food initiatives that have been willing to share their details.

Higher Education

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether family background is monitored in relation to access to degree-level courses by subject.

Mr Jim Wallace: Information on family background and subject studied is collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency on behalf the Scottish Executive, the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council and other statutory customers across the UK administrations.

  The data is published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England at:

  http://www.hefce.ac.uk/learning/perfind/2003/reports/.

Hospitals

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4172 by Mr Tom McCabe on 1 December 2003, how many delayed discharges there were in each local authority area and NHS partnership as of April 2004 and, if this data is not available, when these figures will be published.

Mr Tom McCabe: The information requested is shown in the following tables 1 and 2:

  Table 1

  NHS – Patients Ready for Discharge – Numbers by Local Authority Area1; as at April 2004

  

 Local Authority
 Total2
 Number of Patients 
  Outwith the Six Week Discharge Planning Period3


 Scotland
 1,785
 1,036


 Argyll and Bute
 48
 34


 West Dunbartonshire
 45
 29


 Inverclyde
 71
 47


 Renfrewshire
 62
 51


 Scottish Borders
 38
 30


 East Ayrshire
 51
 35


 North Ayrshire
 42
 25


 South Ayrshire
 50
 21


 Dumfries and Galloway
 8
 3


 Fife
 122
 70


 Clackmannanshire
 4
 -


 Falkirk
 77
 59


 Stirling
 16
 13


 Aberdeen City
 127
 70


 Aberdeenshire
 64
 26


 Moray
 28
 21


 East Dunbartonshire
 22
 10


 Glasgow City
 216
 106


 East Renfrewshire
 19
 11


 Highland
 54
 43


 North Lanarkshire
 57
 24


 South Lanarkshire
 89
 42


 Edinburgh, City of
 228
 129


 East Lothian
 40
 25


 Midlothian
 21
 14


 West Lothian
 26
 9


 Orkney
 3
 -


 Shetland
 1
 1


 Angus
 19
 5


 Dundee City
 68
 38


 Perth and Kinross
 46
 28


 Eilean Siar
 11
 8


 Local Authority not identified
 12
 9



  Notes:

  1. Local authority is based on those patients resident in each local authority area. This will include patients who were not considered to have social work involvement in their discharge planning process or in their post-hospital care arrangements. A patient ready for discharge is not considered to have social work involvement in their discharge planning process if the principal reason for delay is in the Healthcare groups; or principal reason for delay is the Patient/ Carer/ Family – related categories and a date of referral for Social Care Assessment has not been recorded.

  2. Number of patients ready for discharge, in all specialties, reported as at April 2004 census.

  3. Number of Patients ready for discharge with a duration over six weeks (43 days or more), i.e. the common period for local discharge planning agreement timescale across Scotland.

  Table 2

  NHS – Patients Ready for Discharge – Numbers by NHS Board Area of Treatment; as at April 2004 Census

  

 NHS 
  Board Area of Treatment
 Total1
 Number 
  of Patients Outwith the Six Week Discharge Planning Period2


 Scotland
 1785
 1036


 Argyll 
  and Clyde
 218
 162


 Ayrshire 
  and Arran
 143
 81


 Borders
 38
 30


 Dumfries 
  and Galloway
 8
 3


 Fife
 121
 69


 Forth 
  Valley
 98
 72


 Grampian
 221
 118


 Greater 
  Glasgow
 293
 139


 Highland
 54
 43


 Lanarkshire
 122
 55


 Lothian
 321
 184


 Orkney
 3
 -


 Shetland
 -
 -


 Tayside
 134
 72


 Western 
  Isles
 11
 8



  Notes:

  1. Number of patients ready for discharge, in all specialties, reported as at April 2004 census.

  2. Number of patients ready for discharge with a duration over six weeks (43 days or more), i.e. the common period for local discharge planning agreement timescales across Scotland.

Hospitals

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital beds there are in each health board area per 1,000 head of population.

Malcolm Chisholm: Information on average available staffed beds, rate per 1,000 population in each NHS board area for the year ending 31 March 2004 is shown in the table below.

  NHSScotland - Average Available Staffed Beds, Rate Per 1,000 Population1,2; by Health Board Area: Year Ending 31 March 2004P

  

 Scotland
 5.9


 Argyll and 
  Clyde
 6.5


 Ayrshire 
  and Arran
 5.6


 Borders
 6.1


 Dumfries 
  and Galloway3
 5.6


 Fife
 5.0


 Forth Valley
 4.9


 Grampian3
 6.0


 Greater 
  Glasgow
 7.1


 Highland
 6.1


 Lanarkshire
 5.4


 Lothian
 5.4


 Orkney
 4.9


 Shetland
 4.6


 Tayside
 6.4


 Western 
  Isles
 8.7



  Source: ISD Scotland [Form ISD(S)1].

  PProvisional.

  Notes:

  1. Includes joint-user and contractual hospitals.

  2. Crude rates per 1,000 mid-year population forecast at 30 June 2003. These figures should be considered with caution as they take no account of cross boundary flow, i.e., beds will not necessarily serve only the local population.

  3. Some information is estimated.

Medical Students

Bristow Muldoon (Livingston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many medical students graduate from each university medical faculty on average each year and what percentage of those graduates are subsequently placed in Scottish hospitals in the year after their graduation.

The Executive has provided a corrected answer which is published in the Written Answer Report on 28 September 2004: see http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/pqa/wa-04/wa0928.htm

Mr Jim Wallace: In order to complete their basic medical education and obtain registration with the General Medical Council, graduates of UK medical schools must currently undertake a one-year Pre-Registration House Officer (PRHO) post within the NHS.

  The following table shows information reported to the NHS on the number of graduates from each Scottish medical school who were eligible to apply to UK PRHO allocation schemes for entry in the year following graduation and the percentage share who were placed in a Scottish hospital. This information is given for the latest two years for which information is available.

  Medical Graduates from Scottish Medical Schools1 and Share Taking up PRHO Posts in Scotland, 2002-03

  

 
 2002
 2003


 Medical Graduates
 Share of graduates taking up PRHO posts in Scotland
 Medical Graduates
 Share of graduates taking up PRHO posts in Scotland


 University of Aberdeen
 185
 94% 
 160
 92% 


 University of Dundee
 163
 83% 
 129
 91% 


 University of Edinburgh
 177
 93% 
 237
 92% 


 University of Glasgow
 263
 94% 
 275
 96% 


 Total
 788
 91% 
 801
 93% 



  Source: NHS Education for Scotland

  Note:

  1. Although St Andrews University offers medical courses, these provide pre-clinical qualifications only. The clinical component of medical courses undertaken by students at St Andrews is taken at the University of Manchester. For this reason St Andrews is not included in the table.

Mental Health

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what on-going assessment it makes in respect of the quality of patient advocacy services in psychiatric hospitals.

Malcolm Chisholm: NHS Quality Improvement Scotland’s (NHS QIS) health care governance and schizophrenia standards include a requirement for NHS boards to make advocacy services available to those that need them. NHS QIS carry out assessment visits to ensure local compliance with these standards.

National Health Service

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many foreign nationals were treated by the NHS (a) under reciprocal health agreements and (b) as fee-paying patients, broken down by NHS board area in each year since 1999.

Malcolm Chisholm: Information is only available centrally for people treated in hospitals, and will therefore exclude foreign nationals whose treatment was entirely handled by the primary care sector. The information requested for hospital treatment, by year ended 31 December, is set out in the following table. Within the category of people not liable to pay, it is not possible to isolate people benefiting from reciprocal health care agreements from temporary residents who may be exempt from charges, as explained in footnote 2 to the table.

  

 NHS Board
 Patient Category
 1999
 2000
 2001
 2002
 2003


 All Scotland
 Liable to pay1
 391
 366
 344
 316
 269


 Not liable to pay1
 1,217
 728
 681
 602
 647


 Argyll and Clyde
 Liable to pay
 57
 49
 60
 57
 47


 Not liable to pay
 92
 75
 67
 58
 61


 Ayrshire and Arran
 Liable to Pay
 14
 13
 11
 10
 15


 Not liable to pay
 50
 48
 58
 34
 26


 Borders
 Liable to pay
 6
 6
 4
 3
 3


 Not liable to pay
 8
 9
 8
 3
 16


 Dumfries and Galloway
 Liable to pay
 13
 9
 14
 10
 5


 Not liable to pay
 28
 18
 15
 12
 20


 Fife
 Liable to pay
 5
 13
 16
 15
 10


 Not liable to pay
 13
 29
 22
 6
 14


 Forth Valley
 Liable to pay
 15
 19
 15
 15
 11


 Not liable to pay
 33
 21
 50
 23
 32


 Grampian
 Liable to pay
 13
 3
 4
 1
 3


 Not liable to pay
 68
 13
 15
 8
 7


 Greater Glasgow
 Liable to pay
 48
 44
 34
 18
 16


 Not liable to pay
 70
 43
 35
 71
 70


 Highland
 Liable to pay
 68
 68
 66
 66
 52


 Not liable to pay
 183
 175
 151
 153
 206


 Lanarkshire
 Liable to pay
 17
 13
 9
 6
 1


 Not liable to pay
 16
 12
 13
 6
 2


 Lothian
 Liable to pay
 94
 88
 61
 73
 42


 Not liable to pay
 154
 157
 121
 113
 86


 Orkney
 Liable to pay
 5
 2
 5
 10
 8


 Not liable to pay
 14
 3
 2
 3
 6


 Shetland
 Liable to pay
 4
 2
 7
 2
 5


 Not liable to pay
 23
 26
 26
 41
 34


 Tayside
 Liable to pay
 29
 31
 35
 26
 51


 Not liable to pay
 53
 69
 59
 47
 54


 Western Isles
 Liable to pay
 3
 -
 -
 -
 -


 Not liable to pay
 33
 30
 36
 26
 15



  Notes:

  1. Patients liable to pay include foreign nationals who have sought private treatment, foreign nationals on holiday who come from countries, which do not have reciprocal health agreements with the UK, and foreign nationals who are temporarily living in Scotland but do not, in the judgement of the NHS boards concerned, meet any of the categories of exemption set out in the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) (Scotland) Regulations 1989, as amended.

  2. Patients not liable to pay include foreign nationals who come within reciprocal health care arrangements with their countries of residence, and those who are temporarily living in Scotland and come within one of the categories of exemption set out in the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) (Scotland) Regulations 1989, as amended.

National Health Service

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what national guidelines are in place for the treatment of foreign nationals by the NHS.

Malcolm Chisholm: The treatment of foreign nationals by the NHS in Scotland is governed by The National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) (Scotland) Regulations 1989 (SI 1989 No. 364), as amended by The NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1992 (SI 1992 No. 411), The NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1994 (SI 1994 No. 1770) and The NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1998 (SI 1998 No. 251). There are separate Regulations for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. All of the Regulations are available at:

   http://www.hmso.gov.uk/legislation/about_legislation.htm.

  A Health Department Manual of Guidance for the NHS in Scotland on the application and implementation of the Scottish Regulations is available at:

   http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library/documents-w/guide-02.htm.

Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to make commencement orders in respect of the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 and which sections will come into force first.

Allan Wilson: As I made clear during parliamentary consideration of the act, commencement of this important legislation will not be unnecessarily delayed. My intention is that the act should be commenced later this year. It is likely that the provisions in part 3 of the act (Protection of Wildlife) will be the first to come into force.

Rail Network

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received the revised business case for the Borders railway and when it will be published.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive received the revised and final outline business case for the Borders railway on 9 June 2004. The business case is available on the Scottish Parliament’s website at  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/com-wav-bill/docs/wr04-bc-00.htm .

Roads

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that it obtains value for money in regard to the routine and structural maintenance of trunk roads.

Nicol Stephen: All trunk roads in Scotland are inspected and surveyed on a regular basis, the specific timescales of which can vary subject to the strategic nature and classification of the route. Any defects that are identified are measured against pre-defined standards to assess the need and priority for carrying out repairs. A prioritised works programme is then developed, subject to the availability of funding.

  All contracts to carry out work relating to the maintenance and management of the trunk road network are subject to competitive tendering procedures.

  In respect of my answer to parliamentary questions S2W-8790 to S2W-8795 given on 21 June 2004, the majority of routine maintenance work carried out by the TROC’s is either cyclical or routine in nature. The cyclical work is undertaken as part of the TROC’s tendered lump sum payment and the reactive work is undertaken at tendered rates but not allocated to specific locations. Consequently, it is not appropriate to allocate this work to specific routes.

  Structural maintenance work is allocated on a site specific basis and must comply with the value for money requirements detailed in Schedule 4 Part 3 of the Trunk Road Operating Company Contract. (Scottish Parliament Information Centre, Bib. number 16573) Details of the structural maintenance works carried out in each of the financial years since 1999-2000 on the A7, A701, and the A76 have been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 33295). Because of the way the data is held providing this information for part of a route would involve considerable cost.

Scottish Natural Heritage

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9427 by Allan Wilson on 5 July 2004, whether it will place the project plan submitted by Scottish Natural Heritage in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre; what advice has been given in the tender documentation to tenderers in respect of price, and what indication has been given to them in respect of the total area required for the building broken down into circulation and non-circulation space.

Allan Wilson: SNH’s project plan is an evolving document that reflects all the elements needed to make the move to Inverness happen. The plan currently contains some human resource information that has yet to be put to staff, and some commercially-sensitive information that is the subject of a tendering exercise. It is therefore inappropriate to put the project plan into the public domain at this stage. The plan will be further updated in the autumn after the staff consultation has taken place and the building contract has been awarded. A copy of the plan will be placed in the Scottish Parliaments Reference Centre at that stage. The remainder of your question raises issues which are operational matters for SNH.

Wildlife

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been made available, either directly or indirectly, by its Environment and Rural Affairs Department, the Forestry Commission, the Deer Commission for Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage to subsidise the erection of deer fencing in each of the last 10 years.

Ross Finnie: The information is not available in the form requested.

  The Environment and Rural Affairs Department funds deer fencing through Agri-environment schemes in order to protect habitats being managed in the interests of conservation. The amount for deer fencing included in approved conservation plans in each of the last 10 years is as set out in table 1 below.

  The Deer Commission for Scotland has no powers to fund deer fencing. Forestry Commission Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage do fund deer fencing as part of their wider forestry and environmental management schemes but until now in neither case has it been possible to identify the specific costs of the fencing element from the overall costs of the management measures. Under the new Scottish Forestry Grants Scheme introduced in June 2003, it is possible to identify such costs and for the part year from June 2003 to end March 2004, a provisional estimate suggests expenditure of £400,000.

  Table 1

  Value of Deer Fencing Included in Approved Conservation Plans (£000)

  

 1994-95
 £85


 1995-96
 £75


 1996-97
 £107


 1997-98
 £139


 1998-99
 £219


 1999-2000
 £155


 2000-01
 £531


 2001-02
 £104


 2002-03
 £105


 2003-04
 £342



  Notes:

  1. Environmentally Sensitive Area and CPS Schemes closed to new applications on 31 December 2000.

  2. Rural Stewardship Scheme capital payments are now calculated on an annualised basis and paid over the five years of the agreement.